UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
| | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
| For the year ended |
| | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM TO |
Commission File Number
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)
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| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | | ☒ |
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | |
| Emerging growth company | |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
The aggregate market value of the voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based on the closing price of the shares of common stock on June 30, 2022, was approximately $
The number of shares of Registrant’s Common Stock outstanding as of March 8, 2023 was
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the registrant’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 17, 2023 have been incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Eastman Kodak Company
Form 10-K
December 31, 2022
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Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
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Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure |
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Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections |
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Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters |
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Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence |
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| BUSINESS |
When used in this report, unless otherwise indicated, “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company” and “Kodak” refer to the consolidated company on the basis of consolidation described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K Report.
Kodak is a global manufacturer focused on commercial print and advanced materials and chemicals. Kodak provides industry-leading hardware, software, consumables and services primarily to customers in commercial print, packaging, publishing, manufacturing and entertainment. With 31,000 patents earned over 130 years of R&D, we believe in the power of technology and science to enhance what the world sees and creates. Our innovative, award-winning products, combined with our customer-first approach, allow us to attract customers worldwide. Kodak is committed to environmental stewardship, including industry leadership in developing sustainable solutions for print.
The Company was founded by George Eastman in 1880 and incorporated in 1901 in the State of New Jersey. Kodak is headquartered in Rochester, New York.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS
Kodak’s operations are classified into four reportable segments: Traditional Printing, Digital Printing, Advanced Materials and Chemicals and Brand. The balance of Kodak’s continuing operations, which do not meet the criteria of a reportable segment, are reported in All Other and primarily represent the Eastman Business Park ("EBP") operations.
Traditional Printing
The Traditional Printing segment is comprised of Prepress Solutions, which includes Kodak’s digital offset plate offerings and computer-to-plate (“CTP”) imaging solutions. The Traditional Printing segment provides digital and traditional product and service offerings to a variety of commercial industries, including commercial print, direct mail, book publishing, newspapers and magazines and packaging.
This segment is experiencing challenges from higher raw material and other supply chain costs, digital substitution and competitive pricing pressures. Refer to the Business Overview and Strategy section of Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” for additional information on the opportunities and challenges related to Traditional Printing.
The goal of Prepress Solutions is to pursue a contract-based, stable and recurring cash flow-generative business model. The average duration of customer contracts is two years. These contracts generate recurring revenue. The core of the business is the manufacturing of aluminum digital printing plates of varying sizes. These plates can be as small as 23cm x 27cm and as large as 126cm x 287cm. Unexposed plates are sold to commercial printing companies for use in the offset printing process. Kodak also manufactures equipment, known as CTP equipment, which images the plates with a laser. The plates are used in the offset printing process, which transfers ink from the plate onto a rubber blanket and then onto the substrate to be printed. Due to the nature of the imaging and printing process, a new plate must be used for each printing run. As a result, there is a recurring revenue stream from the sale of these plates.
The Traditional Printing products and services are sold globally to customers through both a direct sales team as well as indirectly through dealers and channel partners.
Kodak’s primary competitors are Fuji and Agfa. Kodak expects to benefit from current industry trends, including customers’ increasing focus on sustainability initiatives, which may strengthen demand for Kodak’s process-free solutions.
Digital offset plate offerings include KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates. Instead of the traditional process in which a plate is run through processing equipment containing a solution of developer, chemicals and water to set the image, KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates enable printers to set the image on the platesetter, then go directly to press. There’s also no processing variability, so process-free plate users benefit from more consistent and stable plates. It’s designed to be a much more environmentally friendly approach that could eliminate all processing chemicals, water and excess energy and waste from the plate-making process. These plates are designed to deliver cost savings and efficiency for customers and promote environmental sustainability practices.
Net sales for Traditional Printing accounted for 59%, 57% and 58% of Kodak’s total net revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
The Traditional Printing segment also provides service and support related to these products.
On September 1, 2019 Kodak established a strategic relationship with Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd (“HuaGuang”) in the People’s Republic of China. The relationship is comprised of an agreement under which Kodak sold its shares of the Kodak (China) Graphic Communication Co. Ltd. entity, which included the offset printing plates facility in Xiamen, China, and related assets and liabilities, to HuaGuang; a supply agreement for HuaGuang to help Kodak fulfill customer demand; and a license agreement under which Kodak licensed its plates technology, including its Sonora Process Free plates technology, to HuaGuang with the intent of expanding the plates market in China. As part of the arrangement, Kodak established an escrow in China to secure minimum payments required under the supply agreement. The escrow balance as of December 31, 2022 approximated $5 million.
Digital Printing
The Digital Printing segment contains PROSPER, Software, Electrophotographic Printing Solutions and Versamark. Digital Printing products include high-quality digital printing solutions using electrically charged toner-based technology, production press systems, consumables (primarily ink), inkjet components, software and services. Digital Printing products are distributed directly by Kodak and indirectly through dealers. The markets that the Digital Printing segment serves are highly competitive in variable printing applications like direct mail, newspapers, books, and packaging/labels. Key competitors are HP, Canon, Ricoh and Screen. Products and services included in Kodak’s offerings are described below.
| • | Prosper: |
| • | The PROSPER business product offerings, including the PROSPER Press systems and PROSPER Components, feature ultrafast inkjet droplet generation. This includes the PROSPER 6000 Press, which delivers a continuous flow of ink that enables constant and consistent operation, with uniform ink droplet size and accurate placement, even at very high print speeds. Applications of the PROSPER Press include publishing, commercial print, direct mail and packaging on a variety of substrates. PROSPER System Components are integrated into original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) partner products and systems. Sales of equipment that incorporate the PROSPER Writing Systems result in recurring revenue from sales of ink and other consumables and equipment service. The level of recurring revenue depends on the application for which the equipment is used, which drives the total number of pages printed and, therefore, the amount of ink usage. The business model is further supplemented by consumption of other consumables including refurbished jetting modules and service. |
| • | The focus of the PROSPER business is on developing innovative solutions for customers which includes Kodak’s next generation inkjet platform, Ultrastream, with solutions that place writing systems in OEM products and systems as well as direct sale press products that widens its reach into applications for packaging and décor and expands the substrate range to include plastics. |
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Software: |
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The Software business offers a leading suite of solutions for print production workflow, including the PRINERGY workflow production software, by providing customer value through automation, web integration and integration with other Kodak products and third-party offerings. Production workflow software is used by customers to manage digital and conventional print content from file creation to output. Production workflow software manages content and color, reduces manual errors and helps customers manage the collaborative creative process. Kodak believes it is a leader in production workflow solutions for the commercial print and packaging industries with over 15,000 systems installed in some of the largest printing and packaging establishments around the world. Kodak added its cloud-based PRINERGY On Demand Platform to its PRINERGY offerings in 2022. |
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The Software business includes digital front-end controllers which manage the delivery of personalized content to digital presses while controlling color and print consistency. |
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Electrophotographic Printing Solutions: |
| • | NEXFINITY printers produce high-quality, differentiated printing of short-run, personalized print applications, such as direct mail, books, marketing collateral and photo products. |
| • | The ASCEND printer is a new electrophotographic press aimed at the retail, point of purchase and packaging markets. ASCEND printers enable customers to print and embellish on heavyweight stocks and are designed for customers looking to create short-run packaging, displays and signage. |
| • | Kodak has ceased manufacturing of NEXFINITY and ASCEND printers effective December 2022. Kodak will continue to offer ink and other consumables as well as provide service to its installed base of printers. |
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Versamark: |
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The KODAK VERSAMARK products are the predecessor products to the PROSPER business. Kodak has ceased manufacturing VERSAMARK Press Systems. Users of KODAK VERSAMARK products continue to purchase ink and other consumables as well as service from Kodak. Applications of the VERSAMARK products include publishing, transactional, commercial print and direct mail. |
Net sales for Digital Printing accounted for 19%, 22% and 23% of Kodak’s total net revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Advanced Materials and Chemicals
The Advanced Materials and Chemicals segment is comprised of three lines of business: Industrial Film and Chemicals, Motion Picture and Advanced Materials and Functional Printing. Kodak Services for Business (“KSB”), which provided business process outsourcing services, was sold to Swiss Post Solutions in December 2020. Kodak’s Advanced Materials and Chemicals products are distributed directly by Kodak and indirectly through dealers. Kodak Alaris, a professional and consumer still photographic film and chemicals customer, represented approximately 32% of total Advanced Materials and Chemicals segment revenues in both 2022 and 2021 and 30% in 2020. Products and services included in Kodak’s offerings are described below.
The Advanced Materials and Chemicals segment includes the Kodak Research Laboratories which conduct research, develop new product or new business opportunities such as Kodak's growth initiatives of printed electronics, light blocking treatment for fabrics and diagnostic test reagents and file patent applications for its inventions and innovations.
The Advanced Materials and Chemicals segment also manages licensing of its intellectual property to third parties and is a supporting participant for any licensing of Kodak intellectual property to a third party. Kodak maintains a large worldwide portfolio of pending applications and issued patents.
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Industrial Film and Chemicals: |
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Offers professional and consumer still photographic film, as well as industrial film, including films used by the electronics industry to produce printed circuit boards. |
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Includes related component businesses: Specialty Chemicals; Solvent Recovery; and Polyester Film. Specialty Chemicals include unregulated key starting materials (“KSMs”) for pharmaceuticals. Kodak intends to continue organic expansion of its KSM production and is exploring opportunities to further expand its pharmaceutical offerings. Specialty Chemicals also includes specialty materials for batteries (e.g., electric vehicles ("EV") and others) and specific functional materials for personal care products. |
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Offers specialty inks and dispersions to third parties. |
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Offers coating and product commercialization services: offerings include both pilot-scale and production scale roll-to-roll coating capabilities utilizing Kodak’s assets and know-how to commercialize and manufacture third-party products. |
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Motion Picture: |
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Includes the motion picture film business serving the entertainment industry. Motion picture products are sold directly to studios, external laboratories and independent filmmakers. |
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Kodak motion picture film processing laboratories offer onsite processing services at strategic locations in the U.S. and Europe. |
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Advanced Materials and Functional Printing: |
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Advanced Materials develops solutions for component smart materials based on the materials science inventions and innovations from the research laboratories. There are multiple applications that Kodak contemplates addressing in this category. Currently, the primary focus is on light blocking particles (Kodalux) for the textile market. In addition, a specialty material is manufactured by this group for use by a 3D printing customer. |
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Functional Printing concentrates on contract manufacturing, development partnerships, and/or licensing opportunities in very high-resolution micro-3D printing solutions such as printed electronics and printed transparent antennas. Development partnerships may include non-recurring engineering payments for Kodak’s efforts to further develop such technologies into products. Also, a portfolio of products is offered to enable others to utilize functional printing. |
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IP Licensing and Analytical Services: |
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Kodak actively seeks opportunities to leverage its patents and associated technology in licensing and/or cross-licensing deals to support both revenue growth and its ongoing businesses. While revenues from these licensing activities tend to be unpredictable in nature, this segment carries the potential for revenue generation from intellectual property licensing and new materials businesses. Kodak also provides a wide range of analytical services to external clients at competitive rates. |
Refer to the Business Overview and Strategy section of Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” for additional information on the opportunities related to Advanced Materials and Chemicals growth initiatives.
Net sales for Industrial Film and Chemicals accounted for 15%, 14% and 13% of Kodak’s total net revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Brand
The Brand segment includes licensing of the Kodak brand to third parties. Kodak currently licenses its brand for use with a range of products including digital, instant print and 35mm film cameras, printing and scanning consumer use devices, batteries, apparel and eyewear. Kodak intends to continue efforts to grow its portfolio of brand licenses to generate both ongoing royalty streams and upfront payments. Brand licensees use the Kodak brand on their products and use their own distribution channels.
RAW MATERIALS
The raw materials used by Kodak are many and varied and are generally readily available. Lithographic aluminum is the primary material used in the manufacture of offset printing plates. Kodak procures lithographic aluminum coils from several suppliers with pricing based on prevailing market prices for aluminum. Lithographic aluminum is experiencing significantly increased prices and demand. Electronic components are used in the manufacturing of commercial printers and other electronic devices. The film and chemicals business uses many raw materials, including silver, from a broad range of suppliers. While most raw materials are generally available from multiple sources, certain key electronic components, other components and specialty chemicals included in the finished goods manufactured by Kodak and manufactured by and purchased from Kodak’s third-party suppliers are obtained from single or limited sources, which subjects Kodak to supply risks. Refer to the Executive Overview section of Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” for a discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global events for additional information.
SEASONALITY OF BUSINESS
Printing equipment and plate unit sales generally are higher in the fourth quarter, resulting from customer or industry budgeting practices and buying patterns.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Kodak's general practice is to protect its investment in research and development and its freedom to use its inventions by obtaining patents. The ownership of these patents contributes to Kodak's ability to provide industry-leading products. Kodak holds portfolios of patents in several areas important to its business, including specific technologies such as lithographic printing plates and related equipment systems; digital printing workflow and color management proofing systems; color and black-and-white electrophotographic printing systems including key press components and toners; commercial inkjet writing systems and components, presses and inks; custom and specialty materials for 3D printing, functional printing materials, material formulations, and deposition modalities; engineered microparticles for specific functions; security materials; and embedded information. Each of these areas is important to existing and emerging business opportunities that bear directly on Kodak's overall business performance.
In addition to patents, Kodak’s intellectual property includes know-how in many of the areas noted above, but in other businesses as well, such as color negative films, processing and print films and manufacturing of KSMs for the pharmaceutical industry.
Kodak's major products are not dependent upon one single, material patent. Rather, the technologies that underlie Kodak's products are supported by an aggregation of patents having various remaining lives and expiration dates. There is no individual patent, or group of patents, whose expiration is expected to have a material impact on Kodak's results of operations.
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
Kodak is subject to a wide variety of increasingly stringent federal, state, local, and foreign environmental laws and regulations, including laws addressing the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, and the cleanup of contaminated sites. It is Kodak’s policy to carry out its business activities in a manner consistent with sound health, safety and environmental management practices, and to comply with applicable health, safety and environmental laws and regulations. Kodak continues to engage in programs for environmental, health and safety protection and control.
A liability for environmental remediation and other environmental costs is accrued when it is considered probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Environmental costs and accruals are presently not material to Kodak’s operations, cash flows or financial position. Although there is no assurance that existing or future environmental laws applicable to operations or products will not have a material adverse effect on operations, cash flows or financial condition, Kodak does not currently anticipate material expenditures to comply with environmental laws and regulations.
Kodak is focused on developing and delivering products and technologies that can drive sustainability performance by increasing operational efficiency, minimizing resource use, reducing costs over time and empowering customers to meet their own sustainability objectives.
The opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of its products and services is especially great for print products, as commercial printing has historically been a significant source of waste and pollution. Kodak is developing in-house life cycle assessment and carbon foot printing capabilities, which will help identify where the environmental footprint of Kodak’s products can be further reduced.
HUMAN CAPITAL
As of January 1, 2023, Kodak employed approximately 4,200 employees across 35 countries. Kodak’s success greatly depends on identifying, attracting, engaging, developing, and retaining a highly skilled workforce in multiple areas within Kodak. Outside the U.S. there are employees in certain countries that are represented by unions or similar organizations, such as works councils, or are covered by collective bargaining agreements .
Kodak utilizes temporary staffing programs to develop a pipeline of talent and provide additional support during peak periods. This includes working closely with local schools to provide apprentice and intern programs. Approximately 2% of its workforce is temporary.
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
Kodak is focused on creating an inclusive and creative environment globally. Kodak strives to create a culture of inclusion, reduce bias in its talent practices, and invest in and engage with its communities. Kodak conducts diversity and code of conduct trainings with employees and managers to promote an inclusive and diverse workplace, where all individuals feel respected and part of a team regardless of their race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Kodak has achieved a score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index for over two decades and is included on its list of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality”.
Health, Wellness and Safety
Kodak is dedicated to driving continuous safety improvement across its operations. Kodak’s approach includes identifying and mitigating risk, targeted training, information sharing on safe work practices, and thorough analysis of incidents and near misses.
The COVID-19 pandemic magnified the importance of keeping employees safe and healthy. In response to the pandemic, Kodak has taken actions consistent with government mandates and continues to track active cases. The Executive Leadership Team reviews the impact of and responds to COVID-10 on a regular basis. Kodak will continue to emphasize the health and safety of its employees going forward.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
Kodak files many reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) (www.sec.gov), including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. These reports, and amendments to these reports, are made available free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after being electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. They are available through Kodak's website at www.Kodak.com. To reach the SEC filings, follow the links to Company, About Us, Investor Center, Financials and then SEC Filings.
Kodak operates in rapidly changing economic and technological environments which present numerous risks and uncertainties. The risk factors described below, if realized, could have a material adverse effect on Kodak’s business, financial condition, and results of operations and make an investment in our securities risky. You should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties in addition to other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) section and the consolidated financial statements and related notes.
Summary of Risk Factors
The following is a summary of the risk factors Kodak faces. The list is not exhaustive, and investors should read this “Risk Factors” section in full. Some of the risks Kodak faces include:
Summary of Risks Related to Kodak’s Business and Operations
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Kodak’s business, financial condition and results of operations have been and may continue to be adversely affected by global economic and geopolitical conditions, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, inflation, rising interest rates, and slowdowns in customer demand. |
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The ability to generate positive operating cash flows will be necessary for Kodak to continue to operate our business. |
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If Kodak is unable to continue successful development, funding, and commercialization of products in businesses upon which we are focused or do so within an acceptable timeframe, Kodak’s financial performance could be adversely affected. |
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If Kodak is unable to successfully or timely implement cost structure reductions, Kodak’s business, financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected. |
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The loss of one or more of Kodak’s key personnel, or our failure to attract and retain other highly qualified personnel in the future, could harm our business. |
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If Kodak cannot effectively anticipate or rapidly respond to technology trends and develop and market new products to respond to changing customer needs and preferences, our revenue, earnings and cash flow could be adversely affected. |
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Kodak’s investment in new products and services may not achieve expected returns. |
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If Kodak does not manage product reliability, yield and quality, our product launch plans may be delayed, our financial results may be adversely impacted, and our reputation may be harmed. |
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Aging manufacturing facilities and equipment could lead to failures of equipment and systems. |
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Cyber-attacks or other data security incidents that disrupt Kodak’s operations or result in the breach or other compromise of proprietary of confidential information about our workforce, our customers, or other third parties could disrupt our business, harm our reputation, cause us to lose customers, and expose us to costly regulatory enforcement and litigation, any of which could lead to material adverse effects on Kodak’s results of operations, business and financial condition. |
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If Kodak fails to manage distribution of our products and services properly, our revenue, gross margins and earnings could be adversely impacted. |
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Kodak’s inability to effectively complete and manage strategic transactions could adversely impact our business performance, including our financial results. |
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Failure to successfully manage the development and improvement of IT systems could diminish or delay any anticipated efficiencies and operational improvements, and our operations and business could be disrupted. |
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If Kodak cannot protect the intellectual property rights on which our business depends, or if third parties assert that we violate their intellectual property rights, our revenue, earnings, expenses and liquidity may be adversely impacted. |
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If the reputation of Kodak or its brand erodes significantly, it could have a material impact on our financial results. |
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Increased competition, including price competition, could have a material adverse impact on Kodak’s revenue, gross margins, cash flow and market share. |
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Business disruptions could seriously harm Kodak’s future revenue and financial condition. |
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Kodak relies on third-party suppliers and service providers to support our manufacturing, logistics, and business operations and faces the risks associated with reliance on external business partners. |
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Due to the nature of the products we sell and Kodak’s worldwide distribution, Kodak is exposed to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity costs which, together with tariffs that may be imposed, may adversely impact our results of operations and financial position. |
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Kodak faces additional costs and risks associated with our worldwide business operations. |
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An inability to provide competitive financing arrangements to Kodak’s customers or extension of credit to customers whose creditworthiness deteriorates could adversely impact our revenue, profitability and financial position. |
Summary of Risks Related to Kodak’s Indebtedness and Access to Capital Markets
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The Company’s substantial monetary obligations require a portion of our cash flow be used to fund other obligations rather than be invested in the business and could adversely affect our ability to fund our operations. |
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The availability of borrowings and letters of credit under the ABL Credit Agreement and LC Credit Agreement is limited by the amount of various types of assets and, under certain circumstances, the administrative agent under the ABL Credit Agreement will have greater control over Kodak’s cash. |
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Kodak may desire additional capital funding and such capital may not be available to us and/or may be limited. |
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There can be no assurance the Company will be able to comply with the terms of our various credit facilities. |
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The current non-investment grade status and Kodak’s financial condition may adversely impact Kodak’s commercial operations, increase our liquidity requirements and increase the cost of refinancing opportunities. We may not have adequate liquidity to post required amounts of additional collateral. |
Summary of Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Risks
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Legal proceedings and governmental investigations associated with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announcement or in general could have a material adverse effect on our business operations and prospects, reputation, financial condition, results of operations and stock price. |
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Failure to comply with anti-corruption laws and regulations, anti-money laundering laws and regulations, economic and trade sanctions, and similar laws could have a materially adverse effect on Kodak’s reputation, results of operations or financial condition, or have other adverse consequences. |
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Failure to comply with privacy, data protection and cyber security laws and regulations could have a materially adverse effect on Kodak’s reputation, results of operations or financial condition. |
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Kodak is subject to environmental laws and regulations. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations or liabilities imposed as a result of such laws and regulations could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. |
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If Kodak fails to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results, which could have a material adverse effect on Kodak’s operations, investor confidence in our business and the trading prices of our securities. |
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Kodak may have additional tax liabilities. |
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Kodak’s future pension and other postretirement benefit plan costs and required level of contributions could be unfavorably impacted by changes in actuarial assumptions, market performance of plan assets and obligations imposed by legislation or pension authorities which could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash flow. |
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Kodak may be required to recognize impairments in the value of our goodwill and/or other long-lived assets which could adversely affect our results of operations. |
Summary of Risks Related to the Company’s Common Stock
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The conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock and 2021 Convertible Notes into shares of the Company’s common stock may dilute the value for the current holders of the Company’s common stock. |
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The holder of the Series C Preferred Stock owns a large portion of the voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities, and the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock and 2021 Convertible Notes each have the right to nominate one member for election to the Company’s Board. As a result, these holders may influence the composition of the Board and future actions taken by the Board. |
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The Company has registered, and has a duty to register, the resale of a large portion of our outstanding securities. The resale of the Company’s common stock, or the perception that such resale may occur, may adversely affect the price of our common stock. |
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The resale of a significant portion of the Company’s securities or certain accumulations or transfers of the Company’s securities could result in a change of control of the Company and the loss of favorable tax attributes. |
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The Company’s stock price has been and may continue to be volatile. |
Risks Related to Kodak’s Business and Operations
Kodak’s business, financial condition and results of operations have been and may continue to be adversely affected by global economic and geopolitical conditions, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, inflation, rising interest rates, and slowdowns in customer demand.
Worsening global economic conditions, including those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and rising interest rates, could have material adverse impacts on Kodak’s business, cash flows, employees, suppliers, customers, and others’ ability to conduct business, including increased operational costs, extended business shutdowns, reduced operations, restrictions or interruptions in shipping, manufacturing or installing products, reduced consumer demand and the reduced ability of our customers to make payments. Accounts receivable and past due accounts could increase due to a decline in our customers’ ability to pay, and our liquidity, including our ability to use credit lines, could be negatively impacted by failures of financial instrument counterparties, including banks and other financial institutions.
Due to the global economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, we have and may continue to experience additional operating costs due to increased cost of energy, shipping, raw materials and labor, limited availability of raw materials and component products, delays in shipping and transportation and a decline in customer demand. Kodak’s products contain aluminum, silver, petroleum-based or other commodity-based raw materials, the prices of which have significantly increased, and could continue to increase. Ongoing disruptions in our supply chain could affect our ability to continue to meet customer demand for our products and services. Continued or worsening operational and global economic conditions could materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. The extent to which the global economic conditions affect our results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 and variants, the actions taken in response to the pandemic, the continued impact of the war in Ukraine, any escalation thereof, and the impact of the international response thereto. For additional discussion regarding known impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the global economic environment, see Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations“ in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The ability to generate positive operating cash flows will be necessary for Kodak to continue to operate our business.
Continued investment, capital needs, restructuring payments, dividends and servicing Kodak’s debt require a significant amount of cash and we may not be able to generate sufficient cash to fund these activities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Kodak has not generated positive operating cash flows without supplementing such cash flow from operations with financing and monetization transactions over the past several years. Kodak's businesses may not grow or continue to generate the same or enough cash flow.
It may take Kodak longer than planned to generate positive cash flow from operations, which would have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial position. If Kodak is unable to generate positive cash flow from operations for an extended period in the future or to adequately supplement such cash flow from operations, our ability to continue as a going concern could be impaired or limited.
Kodak’s ability to generate cash is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legal, regulatory and other factors beyond our control. There are no assurances:
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Kodak’s businesses will generate sufficient cash flow from operations; |
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Kodak will be able to repatriate or move cash to locations where and when it is needed; |
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Kodak will meet all conditions associated with borrowings or issuing letters of credit under the ABL Credit Agreement; |
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Kodak will realize cost savings, earnings growth or operating improvements resulting from the execution of our business and restructuring plan; |
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Kodak will not have to expend cash defending lawsuits regardless of the merits of any claims raised; or |
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Future sources of funding will be available in amounts sufficient to enable funding of our liquidity needs. |
Kodak’s business may not generate cash flow in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay the principal or mandatory redemption price of, or interest and dividends on, the senior secured first lien term loans (the “Term Loans”) borrowed under the Credit Agreement, dated February 26, 2021, by and among the Company, the lenders party thereto (the “Term Loan Lenders”), and Alter Domus (US) LLC, as Administrative Agent (the “Term Loan Credit Agreement”), the 5.0% unsecured convertible notes held by the Term Loan Lenders (the “2021 Convertible Notes”), the 4.0% Series B Convertible Preferred Stock of the Company (the “Series B Preferred Stock”), and the 5.0% Series C Convertible Preferred Stock of the Company (the “Series C Preferred Stock”), or to fund Kodak’s other liquidity needs, including working capital, capital expenditures, product development efforts, restructuring actions, collateral requirements, strategic acquisitions, investments and alliances and other general corporate requirements.
If Kodak cannot fund our liquidity needs, we will have to take actions, such as reducing or delaying capital expenditures, product development efforts, strategic acquisitions, and investments and alliances; selling additional assets; restructuring or refinancing the Company’s debt; or seeking additional equity capital. Such actions could increase the Company’s debt, negatively impact customer confidence in our ability to provide products and services, reduce our ability to raise additional capital and delay sustained profitability. There are no assurances any of these actions could, if necessary, be taken on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, or they would satisfy Kodak’s liquidity needs.
If Kodak is unable to continue successful development, funding, and commercialization of products in businesses upon which we are focused or do so within an acceptable timeframe, Kodak’s financial performance could be adversely affected.
Kodak has focused our investments in print, advanced materials, and chemicals. These investment areas include offset plates and CTP devices, digital printing using commercial inkjet, high resolution functional printing for electronic and optical solutions, specialty chemicals (including pharmaceutical products), coated materials used in electric vehicle/energy storage batteries and smart materials for light control and 3D printing. Each of these businesses requires additional investment and may not be successful. The introduction of successful innovative products at market competitive prices and the achievement of scale are necessary for Kodak to grow these businesses, improve margins and achieve our financial objectives. Additionally, Kodak’s strategy is based on a number of factors and assumptions, some of which are not within our control, such as the actions of third parties. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully execute all or any elements of our strategy, or that Kodak’s ability to successfully execute our strategy will be unaffected by external factors. If Kodak is unsuccessful in growing our investment businesses as planned, or perceiving the needs of our target customers, Kodak’s results of operations, financial condition and liquidity could be adversely affected.
If Kodak is unable to successfully or timely implement cost structure reductions, Kodak’s business, financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected.
Kodak continues to rationalize our workforce and streamline operations to a leaner and more focused organization aligned with our business initiatives. There are no assurances that workforce reductions, restructuring efforts and other cost-saving measures will be successful or the cost savings or other beneficial results will be consistent with expectations. The extent of change across our organizational structure, senior leadership, culture, functional alignment, outsourcing and other areas poses risks in the form of personnel capacity constraints and institutional knowledge loss that could lead to diminished results, compliance issues, and harm to our reputation. If workforce reductions, restructuring efforts and other cost-saving measures are not effectively managed, Kodak may also experience lost sales, harm to our business and customer relationships, adverse effects on employee morale, loss of key employees or other retention issues, product delays and increased costs.
Finally, the timing and implementation of workforce reductions may require compliance with laws and regulations, including local labor laws, and the failure to comply with such requirements may result in damages, fines and penalties. Any of these outcomes could negatively impact Kodak’s business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The loss of one or more of Kodak’s key personnel, or our failure to attract and retain other highly qualified personnel in the future, could harm our business.
In order to be successful, Kodak must continue to attract, retain and motivate executives and other key employees across the Company. Hiring and retaining qualified executives, research and engineering professionals, and qualified sales representatives, particularly in Kodak’s targeted growth markets, is critical to our future. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased attrition and significant shifts in the labor market and employee expectations. Given that our business is highly technical and specialized, it would be difficult to replace the loss of any of our key employees. Kodak may be unable to attract and retain highly qualified management and employees, particularly if we do not offer employment terms competitive with the rest of the market. Failure to attract and retain qualified individuals, key leaders, executives and employees, or failure to develop and implement a viable succession plan, could result in inadequate depth of institutional knowledge or skill sets, which could adversely affect Kodak’s business and results of operations.
If Kodak cannot effectively anticipate or rapidly respond to technology trends and develop and market new products to respond to changing customer needs and preferences, our revenue, earnings and cash flow could be adversely affected.
Kodak generally sells our products in industries which are characterized by rapid technological changes, frequent new product and service introductions and changing industry standards. Kodak’s success depends on our ability to offer differentiated solutions and technologies to capture market share and grow scale. To do so, Kodak must continually develop and introduce new products and services in a timely manner to keep pace with technological developments and achieve customer acceptance. In addition, the services and products we provide to customers may not or may no longer meet the needs of our customers as the business models of our customers evolve. Kodak’s customers may decide to outsource their imaging and printing needs or may purchase imaging and printing services and needs from other suppliers. In addition, it is difficult to predict successfully the products and services our customers will demand. The success of Kodak’s business depends in part on our ability to identify and respond promptly to changes in customer preferences, expectations and needs. If Kodak does not timely assess and respond to changing customer expectations, preferences and needs, our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be adversely affected.
If Kodak is unable to timely anticipate new technology trends, develop improvements to our current technology to address changing customer preferences, and effectively communicate our businesses, products, and the markets we serve, our revenue, earnings and cash flow could be adversely affected.
The success of Kodak’s technology development efforts may be affected by the development efforts of our competitors, which may have more financial and other resources to better ascertain technology trends, changing customer preferences, and changing business expectations or models. Kodak’s assessment and response may as a result be incomplete or inferior when compared to our competitors, which could adversely affect our product roadmaps and associated revenue streams.
Kodak has reduced the scope of our corporate-focused research and development activities. If our investment in research and product development is inadequate, our response to changing customer needs and changing market dynamics may be too slow and this may adversely affect revenue streams from new products and services.
Kodak’s investment in new products and services may not achieve expected returns.
Commercial success depends on many factors, including innovativeness, developer support, and effective distribution and marketing. If customers do not perceive Kodak’s latest offerings as providing significant new functionality or other value, they may reduce their purchases of new products or upgrades, unfavorably affecting our revenue. Kodak may not achieve significant revenue from new product, service, and distribution channel investments for several years, if at all.
New products and services may not be profitable, and even if they are profitable, operating margins for some new products and businesses may not be as high as the margins Kodak has experienced historically. Developing new technologies is complex. It can require long development and testing periods. Significant delays in new releases or significant problems in creating new products or services could adversely affect Kodak’s revenue.
If Kodak does not manage product reliability, yield and quality, our product launch plans may be delayed, our financial results may be adversely impacted, and our reputation may be harmed.
In developing, commercializing, manufacturing and servicing our products and services, Kodak must adequately address reliability and prevent yield and other quality issues, including defects in our engineering, design and manufacturing processes, as well as defects in third-party components included in our products.
Because Kodak’s products are sophisticated and complicated to develop and commercialize with rapid advances in technologies, the occurrence of defects may increase, particularly with the introduction of new product lines.
Unanticipated issues with product performance may delay product launch plans which could result in additional expenses, lost revenue and earnings. Although Kodak has established internal procedures to minimize risks which may arise from product quality issues, there can be no assurance we will be able to eliminate or mitigate occurrences of these issues and associated liabilities. Product reliability, yield and quality issues can impair our relationships with new or existing customers and adversely affect our brand image; product quality issues can result in recalls, warranty, or other service obligations and litigation; and our reputation as a producer of high quality products could suffer, all of which could adversely affect our business as well as our financial results.
Aging manufacturing facilities and equipment could lead to failures of equipment and systems.
Kodak’s manufacturing facilities are aged, and without significant updates to equipment and systems, will be more prone to failure. Capital improvements to manufacturing facilities are planned but there is risk to manufacturing operations especially due to the complexity of the processes and technology and the loss of knowledge as employees leave who are familiar with the processes and technology. The longer these updates are delayed the higher the risk due to equipment failures, further obsolescence and additional loss of employees with the specific knowledge base. If Kodak’s equipment and systems experience a critical failure, we could experience an interruption of operations, manufacturing delays, increased costs associated with repairs or redesigns of systems and products, loss of sales and customers and damage to Kodak’s reputation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Cyber-attacks or other data security incidents that disrupt Kodak’s operations or result in the breach or other compromise of proprietary of confidential information about our workforce, our customers, or other third parties could disrupt our business, harm our reputation, cause us to lose customers, and expose us to costly regulatory enforcement and litigation, any of which could lead to material adverse effects on Kodak’s results of operations, business and financial condition.
To effectively manage our global business, Kodak depends on secure and reliable information technology systems with accurate data. These systems and their underlying infrastructure are provided by a combination of Kodak and third parties, and if unavailable or unreliable, could disrupt Kodak’s operations, causing delays or cancellation of customer orders, impeding the manufacturing or delivery of products, delaying the reporting of financial results, or impacting other business processes critical to running our business.
Attacks on IT systems continue to grow in frequency, complexity and sophistication, and Kodak is regularly targeted by unauthorized parties using malicious tactics, code and viruses. The techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, are increasingly more complex and sophisticated and may be difficult to detect for long periods of time. Therefore, the system controls and security measures Kodak and other third parties use to prevent, detect and respond to data or cyber security incidents may not be sufficient to anticipate and identify these techniques or implement adequate or timely preventive or responsive measures.
Kodak’s IT systems contain critical information about our business, including intellectual property and confidential information of our customers, business partners, and employees. Cyber-attacks, breaches or defects in our systems or those of third parties could result in unauthorized access to and misuse of our information, corruption of data, or disruption of operations, any of which could have a material adverse impact on Kodak’s business and reputation. The speed to closure of significant cyber security incidents may be influenced by the cooperation of governmental or law enforcement agencies, which is outside of our control.
Kodak also provides IT-based products and services to our customers and operates services used by our customers and hosted by Kodak. A breach of our security or reliability measures, or those of our third-party service providers, could negatively impact our customers’ operations or data privacy, which could expose Kodak to liability and reputational harm.
We may be required to incur significant costs to protect against damage caused by cyber-attacks or data security incidents in the future. Such events may expose us to unexpected liability, litigation, regulatory investigation and penalties, loss of customers’ business, unfavorable impact to business reputation, any of which could lead to a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If Kodak fails to manage distribution of our products and services properly, our revenue, gross margins and earnings could be adversely impacted.
Kodak uses a variety of distribution methods to sell and deliver our products and services, including direct sales, third-party resellers, channel partners and distributors. Successfully managing the interaction of direct and indirect channels across customer segments for our products and services is complex. Since each distribution method has distinct risks and financial implications, Kodak’s failure to achieve the most advantageous delivery model for our products and services could adversely affect our revenue and earnings.
Kodak’s inability to effectively complete and manage strategic transactions could adversely impact our business performance, including our financial results.
From time to time, Kodak may be engaged in discussions with third parties regarding possible investments, acquisitions, strategic alliances, joint ventures, divestitures, asset sales, spin-offs and outsourcing transactions and may enter into agreements relating to such transactions in order to further our business objectives.
In order to successfully pursue strategic transactions, Kodak must identify suitable sellers, buyers and partners and successfully complete transactions, some of which may be large and complex, and manage post-closing issues such as the elimination of any remaining post-sale costs related to divested businesses. Transaction risk can be more pronounced for larger and more complicated transactions or when multiple transactions are pursued simultaneously. Strategic transactions may involve the following risks and challenges that could negatively impact our results of operations:
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the need to obtain required regulatory and other approvals; |
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the need to integrate acquired or combined operations with our business; |
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potential loss of key employees; |
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difficulty in evaluating operating costs, infrastructure requirements, environmental and other liabilities, and other factors beyond our control; |
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wrong, inaccurate, or changing business assumptions on which such acquisitions or combinations are predicated; |
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potential lack of operating experience in new business or geographic areas; |
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an increase in our expenses and working capital requirements; |
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competition for strategic transactions, which may increase transaction costs and the ability to identify opportunities; |
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management’s attention may be temporarily diverted; and |
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the possibility we may be required to issue a substantial amount of additional equity or debt securities or assume additional debt in connection with any such transactions. |
There are no assurances Kodak will be able to consummate any strategic transactions which we undertake or, if consummated, Kodak will achieve the anticipated levels of cash flows or realize synergies or other anticipated benefits from a strategic transaction. If Kodak fails to identify and successfully complete transactions that further our strategic objectives, we may be required to expend resources to develop products and technology internally, we may be at a competitive disadvantage or we may be adversely affected by negative market perceptions. Any of these factors could have an adverse effect on Kodak’s revenue, gross margins and profitability.
Failure to successfully manage the development and improvement of IT systems could diminish or delay any anticipated efficiencies and operational improvements, and our operations and business could be disrupted.
Kodak is implementing improvements to IT systems to more effectively manage our global business and implement our strategic plans. If Kodak is unable to successfully manage the development, improvement and transition of IT systems, anticipated efficiencies and operational improvements may be delayed or diminished, and we may experience cost overruns, disruption in our operations, or other business or reputational harm, any of which could have a material adverse effect on Kodak’s results of operations, business and financial condition.
If Kodak cannot protect the intellectual property rights on which our business depends, or if third parties assert that we violate their intellectual property rights, our revenue, earnings, expenses and liquidity may be adversely impacted.
A key differentiator for Kodak in many of our businesses is our technological advantage over competitors’ products and solutions. Our technological advantage is supported by Kodak’s intellectual property rights. Patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws in the United States and similar laws in other countries, and non-disclosure, confidentiality and other types of agreements with Kodak’s employees, customers, suppliers and other parties, may not be effective in establishing, maintaining, protecting and enforcing Kodak’s intellectual property rights.
Any of Kodak’s direct or indirect intellectual property rights could be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, infringed, diluted, disclosed or misappropriated, or such intellectual property rights may not be sufficient to permit us to take advantage of current market trends or otherwise to provide competitive advantages, which could result in costly product redesign efforts, discontinuance of certain product offerings or other competitive harm. Further, the laws of certain countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same degree as the laws of the United States.
Therefore, in certain jurisdictions, Kodak may be unable to protect our proprietary technology adequately against unauthorized third-party copying, infringement or use, which could adversely affect our competitive position. Also, some of Kodak’s businesses and some of our products rely on key technologies developed or licensed by third parties and, because of the rapid pace of technological change in the information technology industry, we may not be able to obtain or continue to obtain licenses and technologies from relevant third parties on reasonable terms, or at all.
Kodak also licenses third parties to use our trademarks. In an effort to preserve our trademark rights, Kodak enters into license agreements with these third parties which govern the use of our trademarks and requires our licensees to abide by quality control standards with respect to the goods and services they provide under the trademarks. Although Kodak makes efforts to police the use of our trademarks by our licensees, there can be no assurance these efforts will be sufficient to ensure the licensees abide by the terms of their licenses. In the event Kodak’s licensees fail to do so, our trademark rights could be diluted and our reputation harmed by our licensees’ activities. Also, failure by Kodak and our licensees to sufficiently exploit any of Kodak’s trademarks in any markets could erode Kodak’s trademark rights with respect to the relevant trademarks. Because the laws and enforcement regimes of certain countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same degree as those in the United States, in certain jurisdictions Kodak may be unable to adequately prevent such unauthorized uses, which could result in impairment of our trademark rights.
Kodak has made substantial investments in new, proprietary technologies and has filed patent applications and obtained patents to protect our intellectual property rights in these technologies as well as the interests of our licensees. There can be no assurance Kodak’s patent applications will be approved, any patents issued will be of sufficient scope or strength to provide us with meaningful protection, or such patents will not be challenged by third parties. Furthermore, Kodak may fail to accurately predict all of the countries where patent protection will ultimately be desirable, and if we fail to timely file a patent application in any such country, we may be precluded from doing so at a later date. The patents issuing may vary in scope of coverage depending on the country in which such patents issue.
In addition, the intellectual property rights of others could inhibit Kodak’s ability to conduct our business. Other companies may hold patents on technologies used in Kodak’s industries and some of these companies may be aggressively seeking to expand, enforce or license their patent portfolios. Third parties may claim Kodak and our customers, licensees or other parties indemnified by us are infringing upon their intellectual property rights.
Such claims may be made by competitors seeking to block or limit Kodak’s access to certain markets. Additionally, certain individuals and groups have purchased intellectual property assets for the sole purpose of making claims of infringement and attempting to extract settlements from companies like Kodak. Even if we believe the claims are without merit, these claims may have the following negative impacts on our business:
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claims can be time consuming and costly to defend and may distract management’s attention and resources; |
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claims of intellectual property infringement may require us to redesign affected products, enter into costly settlement or license agreements or pay costly damage awards, or face a temporary or permanent injunction prohibiting us from marketing or selling certain of our products; |
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even if we have an agreement with a third party to indemnify us against such costs, the indemnifying party may be unable to uphold such party’s contractual obligations; and |
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if we cannot or do not license the infringed technology at all, license the technology on reasonable terms or substitute similar technology from another source, Kodak’s revenue and earnings could be adversely impacted. |
Finally, Kodak uses open source software in connection with some of our products and services. Companies which incorporate open source software into their products have, from time to time, faced claims challenging the ownership of open source software and/or compliance with open source license terms. As a result, Kodak could be subject to suits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open source software or noncompliance with open source licensing terms. Some open source software licenses require users who distribute open source software as part of their software to publicly disclose all or part of the source code to such software and/or make available any derivative works of the open source code on unfavorable terms or at no cost. Any requirement to disclose Kodak’s source code or pay damages for breach of contract could be harmful to our business results of operations and financial condition.
If the reputation of Kodak or its brand erodes significantly, it could have a material impact on our financial results.
Kodak’s products and brand have worldwide recognition. Kodak’s reputation, and the reputation of our brand, form the foundation of our relationships with key stakeholders and other constituencies, including customers, suppliers, distributors, channel partners, consumers and investors. Any harm to the reputation of Kodak or our brand could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, business and financial condition. The value of Kodak’s brand is reflected, in part, in our Brand segment, which licenses the Kodak brand for use by third parties in a wide range of products. Consumers and the public may view the products and activities of brand licensees as the products and activities of Kodak. The measures Kodak undertakes to research and manage licensee relationships and assess the quality of their products may not be sufficient to protect against legal proceedings and reputational harm in the event that licensed products and services do not meet consumer expectations for quality and safety. Other factors that could dilute or damage the reputation of Kodak and our brand include the failure of products and services to meet customer expectations, litigation and government investigations, negative or inaccurate comments in the media, including social media, and failure to meet and manage customer and industry expectations regarding the impact of our business on matters of social responsibility and environmental sustainability.
Increased competition, including price competition, could have a material adverse impact on Kodak’s revenue, gross margins, cash flow and market share.
The markets in which Kodak does business are highly competitive with large, entrenched, and well financed industry participants, many of which are larger than Kodak. In addition, we encounter aggressive price competition for many of our products and services from numerous companies globally. Any of our competitors may:
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foresee the course of market developments more accurately than Kodak does; |
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sell superior products and provide superior services or offer a broader variety of products and services; |
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have the ability to produce or supply similar products and services at a lower cost; |
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have better access to materials and supplies and the ability to acquire materials and supplies at a lower cost; |
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develop stronger relationships with our suppliers or customers; |
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adapt more quickly to new technologies or evolving customer requirements; or |
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have access to capital markets or other financing sources on more favorable terms. |
As a result, Kodak may not be able to compete successfully with our competitors. Finally, we may not be able to maintain our operating costs or prices at levels which would allow us to compete effectively. Kodak’s results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected by these and other industry-wide pricing pressures. If our products, services and pricing are not sufficiently competitive with current and future competitors, we could also lose market share, adversely affecting our revenue, gross margins and cash flow.
Business disruptions could seriously harm Kodak’s future revenue and financial condition.
Worldwide operations could be subject to earthquakes, power shortages or outages, internet, systems and telecommunications failures, cyber-attacks, terrorism and other physical security threats, water shortages, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, fires, extreme weather conditions, failure of critical infrastructure, medical epidemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, political or economic instability, including war and protests, and other natural or manmade disasters or business interruptions, for which Kodak is predominantly self-insured. The occurrence of any of these business disruptions could cause disruptions to Kodak’s operations or the operations of our suppliers, distributors and resellers, or customers and have a material adverse effect on Kodak’s results of operations and financial condition.
Certain of Kodak’s critical business functions, including our manufacturing and field service operations, cannot be performed remotely, and an inability of Kodak’s employees to physically work at our or our customers’ locations due to disruptions in service could harm Kodak’s operations, perhaps significantly.
The impact of these risks is greater in areas where products are manufactured at a sole or limited number of location(s), and where the sourcing of materials is limited to a sole or limited base of suppliers, since any material interruption in operations in such locations or suppliers could impact Kodak’s ability to provide a particular product or service for a period of time.
If our systems are disrupted or fail for any reason, both Kodak and our customers could experience data loss, financial loss, harm to reputation, or significant business interruption. Any delays or failures caused by network outages, software or hardware failures, or other data processing disruptions, could result in our inability to provide services in a timely fashion or at all. We may be required to incur significant costs to protect against damage caused by disruptions or security breaches in the future. Such events may expose us to unexpected liability, litigation, regulatory investigation and penalties, loss of customers’ business, and unfavorable impact to business reputation, as a result of which there could be a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Kodak relies on third-party suppliers and service providers to support our manufacturing, logistics, and business operations and faces the risks associated with reliance on external business partners.
Kodak relies on third-party suppliers for goods and services to support our manufacturing, logistics, and business operations. To the extent we rely on third parties, we face the risks that those third parties may not be able to:
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Obtain supplies and materials necessary to deliver goods or services to Kodak; |
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Mitigate the impact of labor shortages and/or other disruptions; |
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Develop manufacturing methods appropriate to Kodak’s products; |
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Maintain an adequate control environment; and |
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Quickly respond to changes in customer demand for Kodak’s products. |
Suppliers may choose to unilaterally withhold products, components or services. In addition, Kodak may experience shortages in supply and disruptions in service and supply as a result of unexpected demand, transportation and logistical limitations, and/or disruptions or production difficulties at our suppliers, such as disruptions due to fires, medical epidemics, other natural disasters or events outside of a supplier’s control. In addition, disruptions could result from a reduction in the number of our suppliers due to their own financial difficulties or a reduction in the products offered by such suppliers. As a result of the loss of any supplier, or a substantial decrease in the availability of products from our suppliers, Kodak may be unable to meet our customer commitments, our costs could be higher than planned, and our cash flows and the reliability of our products could be negatively impacted. Kodak will vigorously enforce our contractual rights under such circumstances, but there is no guarantee we will be successful in preventing or mitigating the effects of unilateral actions by our suppliers.
Other supplier problems that Kodak could encounter include electronic component shortages, interruption of IT services, risks related to the duration and termination of our contracts with suppliers for components and materials, non-competitive pricing due to tariffs, and risks related to the ability to obtain products, components or services from single source suppliers on favorable terms or at all. Hardware, applications and services, including cloud-based services, that we develop or procure from third-party suppliers may contain defects in design or other problems that could compromise the integrity and availability of our services. The realization of any of these risks, should alternative third-party relationships not be available or established, could cause interruptions in supply or increases in costs which might result in Kodak’s inability to meet customer demand for our products, damage to our relationships with our customers, and reduced market share, all of which could adversely affect Kodak’s results of operations and financial condition.
Any significant negative change in the payment terms that Kodak has with our suppliers could adversely affect our liquidity. There is a risk that Kodak’s key suppliers could respond to any actual or apparent decrease in or any concern with our financial results or liquidity by requiring or conditioning their sale of goods or services to Kodak on more stringent or more costly payment terms, such as by requiring standby letters of credit, earlier or advance payment of invoices, payment upon delivery, or shorter payment terms. Kodak’s need for additional liquidity could significantly increase and our supply could be materially disrupted if a significant portion of our key suppliers took one or more of the actions described above, which could have a material adverse effect on our sales, customer satisfaction, cash flows, liquidity and financial position.
Due to the nature of the products we sell and Kodak’s worldwide distribution, Kodak is exposed to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity costs which, together with tariffs that may be imposed, may adversely impact our results of operations and financial position.
As a result of Kodak’s global operating and financing activities, we are exposed to changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates, which may adversely affect our results of operations and financial position.
Exchange rates and interest rates in markets in which we do business tend to be volatile and, at times, our sales and profitability can be negatively impacted across all of our segments depending upon the value of the U.S. dollar and other major currencies such as the euro, the Japanese yen, the British pound and the Chinese yuan. Tariffs or duties may also be imposed on exported products produced by Kodak, making such products less competitive in jurisdictions imposing such tariffs or duties. If the global economic situation remains uncertain or worsens, there could be further volatility in changes in currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices, which could have negative effects on Kodak’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Kodak faces additional costs and risks associated with our worldwide business operations.
Kodak’s business is subject to additional costs and risks associated with doing business internationally, such as:
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support of multiple languages; |
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recruitment of sales and technical support personnel with the skills to design, manufacture, sell and supply products; |
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compliance with governmental regulation of imports and exports, including obtaining required import or export approval for our products; |
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complexity of managing international operations; |
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exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; |
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commercial laws and business practices which may favor local competition and the imposition of tariffs on products or raw materials imported into or exported from the U.S.; |
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multiple, potentially conflicting, and changing governmental laws, regulations and practices, including differing export, import, tax, anti-corruption, anti-dumping, economic sanction, labor, and employment laws; |
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difficulties in collecting accounts receivable; |
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limitations or restrictions on the repatriation of cash and the potential obligation to move cash to locations limiting or restricting repatriation; |
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limitations or reductions in protection of intellectual property rights; |
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complications in logistics and distribution arrangements; and |
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political or economic instability. |
As a global company, Kodak is subject to regulatory requirements and laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate, and any alleged non-compliance with these requirements or laws could result in an adverse financial or reputational impact.
An inability to provide competitive financing arrangements to Kodak’s customers or extension of credit to customers whose creditworthiness deteriorates could adversely impact our revenue, profitability and financial position.
The competitive environment in which Kodak operates may require us to facilitate or provide financing to our customers. Customer financing arrangements may cover all or a portion of the purchase price for our products and services. We may also assist customers in obtaining financing from banks and other sources. Our success may be dependent, in part, upon our ability to provide customer financing on competitive terms and on our customers’ creditworthiness. Tightening of credit in the global financial markets can adversely affect the ability of Kodak’s customers to obtain financing for significant purchases, which may result in a decrease in, or cancellation of, orders for our products and services. If Kodak is unable to provide competitive financing solutions to our customers or if we extend credit to customers whose creditworthiness deteriorates, our revenues, profitability and financial position could be adversely impacted.
Risks Related to Kodak’s Indebtedness and Access to Capital Markets
The Company’s substantial monetary obligations require a portion of our cash flow be used to fund other obligations rather than be invested in the business and could adversely affect our ability to fund our operations.
The Company has obligations for borrowed money or in connection with letters of credit under the Term Loan Credit Agreement, the Asset Based Revolving Credit Agreement (the “ABL Credit Agreement”), the cash collateralized Letter of Credit Facility Agreement (the “LC Credit Agreement”), and the 2021 Convertible Notes (together, the “Credit Agreements”).
The Company’s indebtedness under the Credit Agreements and our other obligations could have important negative consequences to the Company and investors in our securities. These include the following:
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Kodak may not be able to satisfy all of our obligations, including, but not limited to, our obligations under the Credit Agreements, which may cause a cross-default or cross-acceleration on other debt Kodak may have incurred; |
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We could have difficulties obtaining necessary financing in the future for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, collateral requirements, refinancing or other purposes; |
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We will have to use a significant part of our cash flow or cash balances to make payments on our debt and Series B Preferred Stock and to satisfy the other obligations set forth above, which may reduce the capital available for operations and expansion; and |
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adverse economic or industry conditions may have more of a negative impact. |
The Company cannot be sure cash generated from our businesses will be as high as we expect, or our expenses will not be higher than we expect. Because a portion of our expenses are fixed in any given year, our operating cash flow margins are highly dependent on revenues, which are largely driven by customer demand. A lower amount of cash generated from our businesses or higher expenses than expected, when coupled with our debt obligations, could adversely affect Kodak’s ability to fund our operations.
The availability of borrowings and letters of credit under the ABL Credit Agreement and LC Credit Agreement is limited by the amount of various types of assets and, under certain circumstances, the administrative agent under the ABL Credit Agreement will have greater control over Kodak’s cash.
Availability under the Company’s ABL Credit Agreement is based on the amount of Eligible Receivables, Eligible Inventory and Eligible Equipment (as defined in the ABL Credit Agreement) less specified reserves as described in Note 9, “Debt and Finance Leases” to the consolidated financial statements. With the exception of the years ending December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2022, Kodak’s U.S. Accounts Receivable and Inventory levels have been declining over the last several years, and Machinery and Equipment for purposes of the ABL Credit Agreement amortizes down by $1 million per quarter.
Availability under the Company’s LC Credit Agreement is based on cash collateral in an amount greater than or equal to 103% of the aggregate amount of letters of credit issued and outstanding at any given time (the “LC Cash Collateral”).
If Eligible Receivables, Eligible Inventory and Eligible Machinery and Equipment continue to decline and an asset base cannot be maintained to support the $58 million of letters of credit outstanding under the ABL Credit Agreement and the $11.25 million of Excess Availability required under the ABL Credit Agreement, or if LC Cash Collateral is not maintained to support the 103% of the $43 million of letters of credit outstanding under the LC Credit Agreement, the Company would be required to remain in compliance with the ABL Credit Agreement’s Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio and operate under cash dominion by the administrative agent under the ABL Credit Agreement.
Additional LC Cash Collateral would be classified as restricted cash and would not be available to support ongoing working capital and investment needs.
If the administrative agent under the ABL Credit Agreement executed cash dominion, that would increase operational complexities for the Company. An event of default would occur under these circumstances if the Company is unable to remain in compliance with the ABL Credit Agreement’s Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio and operate under cash dominion by the administrative agent under the ABL Credit Agreement.
Kodak may desire additional capital funding and such capital may not be available to us and/or may be limited.
Kodak may desire to raise additional capital, including to pursue additional growth opportunities, strategic transactions or additional reorganization initiatives or refinance or redeem outstanding debt or preferred stock. Because of Kodak’s current non-investment grade credit rating and financial condition, and/or the current volatility and tightening in the financial and credit markets, Kodak’s access to the capital markets may be limited.
Kodak’s ability to obtain capital and the costs of such capital are dependent on numerous factors, including:
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Covenants in the Credit Agreements; |
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Obtaining a consent from the holders of Series B and C Preferred Stock for the issuance of additional preferred shares which rank senior or pari passu to the Series B and C Preferred Stock; |
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Investor confidence in Kodak and the markets in which we operate; |
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Our financial performance and projected financial performance and the financial performance and projected financial performance of our subsidiaries; |
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Our levels of debt and redemption obligations; |
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Our ability to generate positive cash flow; |
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Our ability to consummate monetization transactions including asset sales; |
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Our requirements for posting collateral under various commercial agreements; |
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Our current non-investment grade credit rating; |
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Our long-term business prospects; and |
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General economic and capital market conditions. |
Kodak may not be successful in obtaining additional capital for these or other reasons. An inability to access capital may limit our ability to capitalize on growth or efficiency opportunities or refinancings we would otherwise like to pursue.
There can be no assurance the Company will be able to comply with the terms of our various credit facilities.
A breach of any of the financial or other covenants contained in the Credit Agreements, including the Minimum US Liquidity requirements in the ABL Credit Agreement and the LC Credit Agreement, could result in an event of default under these facilities.
The maturity for our 2023 Amended ABL Credit Agreement is June 12, 2024. If we are unable to extend the maturity date or refinance this facility, we would need to have sufficient cash, securities or other collateral to post in place of the letters of credit supported by these facilities. If the 2023 Amended ABL Credit Agreement is not extended or refinanced by February 26, 2024, we may need to address a $9 million reduction in commitments that would take effect on that date.
If any default or event of default occurs under the LC Credit Agreement or ABL Credit Agreement and the Company is not able to either cure it or obtain a waiver from the requisite lenders under the LC Credit Agreement and ABL Credit Agreement, the administrative agent under the LC Credit Agreement and ABL Credit Agreement may, and at the request of the requisite lenders for that facility must, declare all of the Company’s outstanding obligations under the LC Credit Agreement and ABL Credit Agreement, together with accrued interest and fees, to be immediately due and payable. In addition, the agent under the LC Credit Agreement and ABL Credit Agreement may, and at the request of the requisite lenders must, terminate the lenders’ commitments under that facility and cease making further loans. If any default or event of default occurs under the Term Loan Credit Agreement or 2021 Convertible Notes and the Company is not able to either cure it or obtain a waiver from the holders of the Term Loan Credit Agreement or 2021 Convertible Notes, such holders may declare all of the Company’s outstanding obligations under the Term Loan Credit Agreement and 2021 Convertible Notes, together with accrued interest and fees, to be immediately due and payable. If applicable, the administrative agent under the LC Credit Agreement, ABL Credit Agreement and Term Loan Credit Agreement and the collateral agent for the 2021 Convertible Notes could institute foreclosure proceedings against the pledged assets. Any of these outcomes would likely have an adverse effect on the Company’s operations and our ability to satisfy our obligations as they come due.
The current non-investment grade status and Kodak’s financial condition may adversely impact Kodak’s commercial operations, increase our liquidity requirements and increase the cost of refinancing opportunities. We may not have adequate liquidity to post required amounts of additional collateral.
The Company’s corporate family credit rating is currently below investment grade and there are no assurances our credit ratings will improve, or they will not decline, in the future. In addition, the Company may not continue to maintain credit ratings from the recognized rating agencies.
Our credit ratings and financial condition may affect the evaluation of our creditworthiness by trading counterparties and lenders, which could put us at a disadvantage to competitors with higher or investment grade ratings.
In carrying out our commercial business strategy, the current non-investment grade credit ratings have resulted and will likely continue to result in requirements that Kodak either prepay obligations or post significant amounts of collateral to support our business.
Should our ratings continue at their current levels, or should our ratings be further downgraded, we would expect these negative effects to continue and, in the case of a downgrade, become more pronounced. In particular, given the Company’s current credit ratings we may be required to post additional collateral to secure workers' compensation-related obligations.
Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Risks
Legal proceedings and governmental investigations associated with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announcement or in general could have a material adverse effect on our business operations and prospects, reputation, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.
On July 28, 2020, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (the “DFC”) announced (the “DFC Announcement”) the signing of a non-binding letter of interest to provide a subsidiary of the Company with a potential $765 million loan (the “DFC Loan”) to support the launch of Kodak Pharmaceuticals, an initiative that would manufacture pharmaceutical ingredients for essential generic drugs (the “DFC Pharmaceutical Project”).
The DFC Announcement and circumstances surrounding it prompted congressional investigations, an SEC investigation and a New York Attorney General’s investigation. In addition, lawsuits have been filed or threatened alleging various securities law violations and breaches of fiduciary duties based on circumstances surrounding the DFC Announcement. For further information on these investigations and lawsuits, see Note 12, “Commitments and Contingencies” in the Notes to Financial Statements.
Legal proceedings in general, and securities and class action litigation and regulatory investigations in particular, can be expensive and disruptive. The investigations and lawsuits associated with the DFC announcement have diverted, and may continue to divert, the attention of Kodak’s employees, management and board of directors. In addition, the response to the DFC related investigations and lawsuits has resulted in, and may continue to result in, increased legal expense and related costs. Kodak’s insurance, to the extent maintained, is not expected to cover all costs associated with the investigations and legal proceedings. We are unable to predict how much longer the legal proceedings and investigations to which we are currently subject will continue. An unfavorable outcome of any governmental investigation or legal proceeding may have an adverse impact on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations, prospects, or stock price.
Failure to comply with anti-corruption laws and regulations, anti-money laundering laws and regulations, economic and trade sanctions, and similar laws could have a materially adverse effect on Kodak’s reputation, results of operations or financial condition, or have other adverse consequences.
Regulators worldwide are exercising heightened scrutiny with respect to anti-corruption, economic and trade sanctions, and anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Such heightened scrutiny has resulted in more aggressive investigations and enforcement of such laws and more burdensome regulations, any of which could adversely impact Kodak’s business. Kodak has a global operating presence, including in numerous developing economies where companies and government officials are more likely to engage in business practices that are prohibited by domestic and foreign laws and regulations, including the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act.
Such laws generally prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign government officials and leaders of political parties, and in some cases, to other persons, for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Kodak is also subject to economic and trade sanctions programs, including those administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which prohibit or restrict transactions or dealings with specified countries, their governments, and in certain circumstances, their nationals, and with individuals and entities that are specially designated, including narcotics traffickers and terrorists or terrorist organizations, among others. In addition, Kodak is subject to anti-money laundering laws and regulations.
Kodak has implemented policies and procedures to monitor and address compliance with applicable anti-corruption, economic and trade sanctions and anti-money laundering laws and regulations, and Kodak periodically reviews, upgrades and enhances certain of our policies and procedures. However, there can be no assurance that our employees, consultants or agents will not take actions in violation of our policies for which we may be ultimately responsible, or that our policies and procedures will be adequate or will be determined to be adequate by regulators. Any violations of applicable anti-corruption, economic and trade sanctions or anti-money laundering laws or regulations could limit certain of Kodak’s business activities until they are satisfactorily remediated and could result in civil and criminal penalties, including fines, which could damage our reputation and have a materially adverse effect on Kodak’s results of operation or financial condition.
Failure to comply with privacy, data protection and cyber security laws and regulations could have a materially adverse effect on Kodak’s reputation, results of operations or financial condition.
Kodak receives, processes, transmits and stores information relating to identifiable individuals (personal information), both in our role as a technology provider and as an employer. As a result, Kodak is subject to numerous U.S. federal and state and foreign laws and regulations relating to personal information.
These laws have been subject to frequent changes, and new legislation in this area may be enacted at any time. More recent examples of data privacy laws include (but are not limited to) the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and ePrivacy laws, California’s Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), China’s Personal Information Protection Law (“PIPL”), and Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (“LGPD”).
Recently enacted laws and regulations, as well as any other change to existing laws, the introduction of new laws and regulations in this area, or the failure to comply with existing laws that are applicable, may subject Kodak to, among other things, additional costs or changes to our business practices, liability for monetary damages, fines and/or criminal prosecution, unfavorable publicity, restrictions on our ability to obtain and process information and allegations by our customers and clients that we have not performed our contractual obligations.
Recent developments in the regulation of cross-border data transfers from the European Economic Area and countries with similar regimes, including enforcement decisions and regulatory guidance issued by key supervisory authorities, creates uncertainty as to our and our customers’ ability to use platforms and processing services located in the U.S. and other non-adequate jurisdictions. While existing data transfer mechanisms, such as Standard Contractual Clauses, remain valid, Kodak’s use of these transfer mechanisms is subject to legal, regulatory and political pressure. Kodak anticipates spending additional time and expense to enable continued cross-border transfers as needed to operate our business, which may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
This environment demands Kodak continuously improve our design and coordination of security controls and contractual arrangements across our businesses and geographies. While Kodak has taken steps to comply with the GDPR, other applicable data protection laws, and the regulations and guidance published by applicable regulators, our efforts to achieve and remain in compliance may not be fully successful. Despite Kodak’s security controls over personal data, Kodak, may not prevent the improper disclosure of personal information. Improper disclosure of this information could harm our reputation or subject us to liability under laws which protect personal data, resulting in increased costs or loss of revenue.
Kodak is subject to environmental laws and regulations. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations or liabilities imposed as a result of such laws and regulations could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Kodak is subject to environmental laws and regulations world-wide that govern, for example, the discharge of pollutants, the management of hazardous materials, the cleanup of contaminated sites, and the composition and end-of-life management of our products. Changes to such laws and regulations could limit the sale of certain of our products in certain jurisdictions or require modifications to our products that may be costly, time consuming or infeasible.
Non-compliance with applicable laws or liability incurred without regard to fault could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. The cost of complying with such laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Any uncertainties related to environmental conditions or obligations at Kodak’s properties may impact our ability to further develop or sell such properties.
If Kodak fails to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results, which could have a material adverse effect on Kodak’s operations, investor confidence in our business and the trading prices of our securities.
Kodak is required to maintain disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting that are effective for the purposes described in Item 9A, “Controls and Procedures”. The existence of a material weakness in Kodak’s internal controls may adversely affect our ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information timely and accurately and, as a result, our financial statements may contain material misstatements or omissions, which could result in regulatory scrutiny, cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial condition and otherwise have a material adverse effect on Kodak’s business, financial condition, cash flow results of operations or the trading price of Kodak’s stock.
Kodak may have additional tax liabilities.
Kodak is subject to income and other taxes in the United States and many other countries, and we are subject to routine corporate income tax audits in these jurisdictions. We believe that the positions taken on our tax returns are fully supported, but tax authorities may challenge these positions, and our positions may not be fully sustained on examination by the relevant tax authorities. We regularly assess the likely outcomes of these audits in order to determine the appropriateness of our tax provision, and we believe we have provided adequate reserves for all tax deficiencies or reductions in tax benefits that could reasonably result from an audit. We adjust our uncertain tax positions to reflect the impact of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel, and other information and events pertaining to a particular audit. Determining the appropriate provision for potential deficiencies or reductions in tax benefits that could reasonably result from an audit requires management judgments and estimates, and income tax audits are inherently unpredictable. We may not accurately predict the outcomes of these audits, and the amounts ultimately paid upon resolution of audits could be materially different from the amounts previously included in our income tax provision and, therefore, could have a material impact on our income tax provision, net income and cash flows.
Kodak’s future pension and other postretirement benefit plan costs and required level of contributions could be unfavorably impacted by changes in actuarial assumptions, market performance of plan assets and obligations imposed by legislation or pension authorities which could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash flow.
Kodak has significant defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit obligations.
The funded status of our U.S. and non-U.S. defined benefit pension plans (and other postretirement benefit plans), and the related cost reflected in our financial statements, are affected by various factors subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty. Key assumptions used to value these benefit obligations, funded status and expense recognition include the discount rate for future payment obligations, the long term expected rate of return on plan assets, salary growth, mortality trends, and other economic and demographic factors. Significant differences in actual experience, or significant changes in future assumptions or obligations imposed by legislation or pension authorities, could lead to a potential future need to contribute cash or assets to Kodak’s plans in excess of currently estimated contributions and benefit payments and could have an adverse effect on Kodak’s consolidated results of operations, financial position or liquidity.
In past years, Kodak has experienced variability in the costs of these defined benefit pension and postretirement benefit obligations as a result of macro-economic factors beyond our control, including variability in investment returns on pension plan assets, and changes in discount rates and mortality rates used to calculate pension and related liabilities. At least some of these macro-economic factors may again put pressure on the cost of providing pension and benefits. There can be no assurance we will succeed in limiting cost increases.
Kodak may be required to recognize impairments in the value of our goodwill and/or other long-lived assets which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Kodak tests goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets for impairment annually or whenever events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. Kodak evaluates other long-lived assets for impairments whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Impairments could occur in the future if Kodak’s expected future cash flows or market capitalization decline, market or interest rate environments deteriorate, or if carrying values change materially compared with changes in their respective fair values.
Risks Related to the Company’s Common Stock
The conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock and 2021 Convertible Notes into shares of the Company’s common stock may dilute the value for the current holders of the Company’s common stock.
The 1,000,000 outstanding shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock are convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion rate of 9.5238 shares of common stock per share of Series B Preferred Stock, the 1,096,797 outstanding shares of the Company’s Series C Preferred Stock are convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion rate of 10 shares of common stock per share of Series C Preferred Stock, and the 2021 Convertible Notes are convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion rate of 100 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2021 Convertible Notes. The outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock and outstanding principal amount of the 2021 Convertible Notes are expected to increase as a result of the payment of dividends and interest in kind at a rate of 5.0% per annum. As a result of the conversion of any issued and outstanding Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock or 2021 Convertible Notes (collectively, the “Convertible Securities”), the Company’s existing shareholders will own a smaller percentage of our outstanding common stock. Based on the capitalization of the Company as of December 31, 2022, the conversion of all Convertible Securities would result in the issuance to holders thereof of approximately 23% of the outstanding common stock after giving effect to such conversion. Further, additional shares of common stock may be issuable pursuant to certain other features of the Convertible Securities, with such issuances being further dilutive to existing holders of common stock.
If Convertible Securities are converted into common stock, holders of such converted common stock will be entitled to the same dividend and distribution rights as holders of the common stock currently authorized and outstanding. As such, another dilutive effect resulting from the conversion of any issued and outstanding Convertible Securities will be a dilution to dividends and distributions.
Holders of the Company’s common stock will not realize any dilution in their ownership, dividend or distribution rights solely as a result of the reservation of any shares of common stock for issuance upon conversion of the Convertible Securities or for issuance of additional shares of common stock pursuant to certain other features of the Convertible Securities, but will experience such dilution to the extent additional shares of common stock are issued in the future as described above.
The holder of the Series C Preferred Stock owns a large portion of the voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities, and the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock and 2021 Convertible Notes each have the right to nominate one member for election to the Company’s Board. As a result, these holders may influence the composition of the Board and future actions taken by the Board.
The holder of the Company’s Series C Preferred Stock is entitled to vote upon all matters upon which holders of the Company’s common stock have the right to vote and is entitled to the number of votes equal to the number of full shares of common stock into which such shares of Series C Preferred Stock could be converted at the then applicable conversion rate.
The holder of the Series C Preferred Stock holds approximately 12% of the voting power of the Company on an as-converted basis. As a result, this holder may have the ability to influence future actions by the Company requiring shareholder approval.
The holder of the Series C Preferred Stock also has the right to nominate one member for election to the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”). This nomination right expires upon the earlier to occur of the third anniversary of the initial issuance of the Series C Preferred Stock or the holder ceasing to directly or indirectly hold at least a majority of the shares of Series C Preferred Stock purchased or the common stock received upon the conversion of such shares and is exclusive to the initial holder and does not transfer with the Series C Preferred Stock.
Also, an affiliate of the Term Loan Lenders has the right to nominate one member for election to the Board until the third anniversary of the initial issuance of the Term Loans or until the Term Loan Lenders cease to hold at least 50% of the original principal amount of the Term Loans and commitments under the Credit Agreement, whichever is earlier. Until the Term Loan Lenders cease to hold at least 50% of the original principal amount of the Term Loans and commitments under the Credit Agreement, at any time that the director nominated by the affiliate of the Term Loan Lenders is not serving on the Board, such affiliate will have the right to designate a non-voting observer to the Board.
Also, if dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock are in arrears for six or more consecutive or non-consecutive dividend periods, the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock will be entitled to nominate one director at the next annual shareholder meeting and all subsequent shareholder meetings until all accumulated dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock have been paid or set aside. As a result, the presence of directors on the Board nominated by the current holder of Series C Preferred Stock or an affiliate of the Term Loan Lenders or nominated in the future by the holders of Series B Preferred Stock would enable such holders and lenders to influence the composition of the Board and, in turn, potentially influence and impact future actions taken by the Board.
The Company has registered, and has a duty to register, the resale of a large portion of our outstanding securities. The resale of the Company’s common stock, or the perception that such resale may occur, may adversely affect the price of our common stock.
In compliance with certain agreements to which the Company is a party, we have registered the resale of an aggregate of up to 44,490,032 shares of common stock that are either outstanding or issuable upon conversion of Preferred Stock or convertible notes. The resale of a substantial number of shares of common stock in the public market, or the perception that such resale might occur, could cause the market price of the Company’s common stock to decline. Under the terms of the certain agreements to which the Company is subject, certain of the counterparties to such agreements can, in certain circumstances, require the Company to participate in an underwritten public offering of the registered securities. Any shares sold in a registered resale will be freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act. While the Company cannot predict the size of future resales or distributions of our common stock, if there is a perception that such resales or distributions could occur, or if the holders of the Company’s securities registered for resale sell a large number of the registered securities, the market price for the Company’s common stock could be adversely affected.
The resale of a significant portion of the Company’s securities or certain accumulations or transfers of the Company’s securities could result in a change of control of the Company and the loss of favorable tax attributes.
Holders of the Convertible Securities and holders of large blocks of the Company’s common stock collectively have a significant influence over matters presented to the Company’s shareholders for approval, including election of members to the Board and change of control transactions. In addition, the holders of such securities collectively would be able to cause a significant change in the ownership of the Company by selling a sufficient portion of the Company’s securities held by them. If such a transaction, in combination with other transactions in securities of the Company which have already occurred or future issuances of securities by the Company, were to result in an “ownership change” as determined under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, then the Company’s ability to offset taxable income with tax attributes generated prior to the ownership change date could be limited, possibly substantially. Certain accumulations or transfers of the Company’s outstanding securities not involving these holders, could also cause such an “ownership change”. For more information on the Company’s tax attributes refer to Note 18, “Income Taxes”. The interests of the holders of the Convertible Securities and holders of large blocks of the Company’s common stock may not always coincide with the interests of the other holders of our common stock.
The Company’s stock price has been and may continue to be volatile.
The market price of the Company’s common stock experienced extreme volatility in the context of the DFC Announcement and has declined significantly since that time. Future announcements or disclosures concerning the Company, our strategic initiatives, our sales and profitability, quarterly variations in actual or anticipated operating results or comparable sales, any failure to meet analysts’ expectations, sales of large blocks of our common stock and developments concerning the investigations, lawsuits and claims relating to the DFC Announcement, among other factors, could cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate substantially.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Kodak's worldwide headquarters is located in Rochester, New York.
Kodak owns 11 million square feet and leases, as a lessee, approximately 4 million square feet of space that includes administrative, research and development, manufacturing and marketing facilities in several worldwide locations. Out of the owned space, Kodak leases out approximately 1 million square feet to third-party tenants. The leases are for various periods and are generally renewable.
Kodak’s principal manufacturing facilities, by segment, are listed below. Properties in a location may be shared by all segments operating in that location.
| Digital Printing |
Traditional Printing |
Advanced Materials and Chemicals |
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| Rochester, New York, USA |
Rochester, New York, USA |
Rochester, New York, USA |
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| Dayton, Ohio, USA |
Columbus, Georgia, USA |
Xiamen, China |
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| Vancouver, Canada | Osterode, Germany | Vancouver, Canada | ||
| (software development) |
Gunma, Japan |
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| Shanghai, China |
Shanghai, China |
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| (software development) |
Vancouver, Canada |
Regional distribution centers are located in various places within and outside of the United States.
Research and development is headquartered at the Kodak Research Laboratories which is part of the Eastman Business Park in Rochester, New York, where Kodak conducts research and files patent applications for fundamental inventions. Eastman Business Park is a more than 1,200-acre innovation and manufacturing hub, which features a comprehensive set of technology, transportation and utility infrastructure assets. The complex features an on-site rail and wastewater treatment facility and manufacturing, distribution, lab and office space. Kodak uses and leases out space at Eastman Business Park as part of its strategy of adaptive and effective reuse of infrastructure, services, buildings and land.
Other U.S. research and development groups are located in Dayton, Ohio and Columbus, Georgia. Outside the U.S., research and development groups are located in Canada, Israel, Germany, Japan and China. The research and development groups work in close cooperation with manufacturing units and marketing organizations to develop new products and applications to serve both existing and new markets.
Kodak has excess capacity in some locations. Kodak is pursuing t